There has been a lot of talk about Kyle Dubas and whether he can get the job done; he has a pivotal season ahead

There is a belief that the clock didn't start ticking on Kyle Dubas' run as GM until his first full season after the COVID-shortened seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21, but some are of the opinion that the clock should have started ticking on Dubas a long time ago, since he actually joined the organization back in 2014.

The fact of the matter is that, while yes, Dubas has been with the Leafs since 2014, he spent the first 4 seasons with the club in a learning role, even while acting as interim GM. It is believed that Brendan Shanahan was pulling most of the strings until Lou Lamoriello had arrived. Once he did, Dubas and Hunter were both developed as potential heirs until Dubas was finally named Lou's successors in 2018.

Having said that, it's also a fair argument to make that Dubas' clock should have started ticking the moment he became GM. If the goal is to win a Championship, going easy on the GM. It's an equally fair argument that all NHL GM's were facing the same hurdles during the pandemic with the flat cap. But while discussing fair arguments, the job that Dubas has done managing the flat cap immediately after signing Matthews and Marner to their new deals counting on a rising cap.. it's amicable.

On Thursday, the NHL Network's Michael Rupp went on the record, stating that if the Leafs don't go on a run this year and experience some real playoff success, it could be the end of the line for Dubas and company. There are certainly arguments to be made for and against that decision, but it is worth noting that Dubas is certainly not the longest-tenured GM in the league and there are GM's who have been around a lot longer who have had much worse runs of late - some missing the playoffs entirely.

Can the Leafs do better? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know that there's a clear upgrade available at this time. Making a change for the sake of making a change is almost never a good idea. If the Leafs do have any doubts about Kyle Dubas and his regime, they'd be better off waiting for a clear upgrade to become available rather than just making a knee-jerk, reactionary move. My gut tells me, though, that we have not yet seen the best of the Dubas-era Leafs. This season could change a lot of people's opinions of the 36-year-old GM.